Reading The Hotel Thief
by Olympian814
Summary: Exerpt:"They say that in order to catch a thief, you'd have to think like them. Maybe if we think like Sammy we'll be able to find her" Sammy's Missing & in order to find her they have to read the books. Summary Sucks! Story is wayyy better!
1. Prologue

**First story for Sammy Keyes for moi!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Sammy Keyes or her friends. I only own me, myself, and I.

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They say that in order to find someone, you have to think like them. For example, if someone did something horrible and fled, you'd have to find out the way they think in order to find out where they're hiding and why they did the horrible thing in the first place. Now some of you people out there are probably thinking along the lines of, "Okay? Why are you telling me this?"

The reason why I'm telling you about this is simple: Sammy Keyes has gone missing.

Or at least that's what some say. Others, like myself, tend to think of the term "kidnapped" when asked about the sudden disappearance of the intelligent sleuth.

Why? Easy answer right there. Sammy wouldn't ever go somewhere without telling someone where she is going.

I remember the day I found out about the disappearance of Sammy in vivid detail actually.

_It was just another ordinary day, or as ordinary as it can be in Santa Martina. Until I reached school that is. The slight breeze to the north blowing the leaves off the ground and into the faces of those who are passing by. The morning rays of the sun blasting head-on into everyone's faces. Just your typical morning._

_I locked my bike on the rack and headed towards homeroom, passing by Dot and Holly on my way there._

_"Hey guys," I greeted as I walked toward them. "What's up?"_

_"Hey Marissa," Holly and Dot spoke simultaneously._

_"Where's Sammy?" Holly asked looking around as if Sammy was hiding from her._

_"Huh? What do you mean 'Where's Sammy?'" I asked on the verge of doing the McKenze dance._

_"I thought she was with you," Holly mumbled, more to herself than to me._

_"Maybe she's running late?" suggested Dot looking around for our friend._

_"It's possible," I replied. The bell rang signaling everyone to get to their homeroom classes._

_It was at lunch when we finally realized Sammy wasn't at school at all._

_"I checked all of the halls," Holly reported, plopping down into her seat._

_"I've checked the whole lunchroom," Dot spoke leaning into her palm._

_"And I've checked everywhere else," I mumbled feeling hopeless._

_"Maybe she's just sick?" Dot suggested trying to not let the feeling of dread overwhelm her._

_"Maybe," Holly replied staring off into the distance while stroking her chin._

_"Yeah. After school we'll check Hudson's and the Senior Highrise," I concluded, trying to at least eat part of my lunch._

_After the final bell rang, Dot had to leave, but Holly and I split up to try and find our friend. She'd check Hudson's and I'd check the Senior Highrise. We'd meet up at Maynard's Market to report our findings._

_I pedaled my bike to go faster, trying to figure out why Sammy wasn't at school. Last minute dentist's appointment? Sick? Kidnapped? Nah, Sammy couldn't be kidnapped, could she? She's Sammy, there's no way Sammy could have been kidnapped._

_Sadly, the trip to the Highrise confirmed my suspicions, along with Holly's findings, too. Sammy is indeed missing. And it's our duty to find her._

And that's how it went.

Right now I am, along with Dot and Holly, waiting for this so-called "meeting" to start. Basically Sammy disappearing made the school look bad so they're trying to help look for her. And that is why we are in the auditorium waiting to help the search for Sammy with the rest of the people in my grade.

"Anyone else?" questioned the Vice Principle, Mr. Caan, thirty minutes later.

Hesitant at first, I raised my hand.

"Ms. McKenze?"

"Um, they say that, like, in order to catch a thief, you'd have to think like them. Maybe if we think like Sammy we'll be able to find her," I spoke in a rush.

There was a murmur of agreements from almost everyone, except for, you know, Heather Acosta ("Who would want to think like her?").

"I think you might just be onto something, Ms. McKenze," the principal praised, nodding his head in approval.

"Yeah, but how will we be able to do so?" Mr. Caan questioned.

Almost as if planned, there was a knock on the door.

"That's strange," mumbled Mr. Caan.

He opened the door to find no one there.

"Even stranger."

Down by his feet was a big brown box filled with, what I think are books. Simultaneously, questions were fired. You know the usual: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

"Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief?" Mr. Caan read aloud one of the titles (See I was right. They are books). Immediately gasps were heard.

"Should we read them?" someone in the sea of students spoke, asking what almost everyone was thinking.

"We're in luck they're in Sammy's point of view!" the principle cried out, obviously overjoyed about finally getting somewhere about the whereabouts of Sammy. "Who'd like to read first?"

"I will!" I shouted, my hand launching itself as high up as it could go.

The principle handed me the book, saying I could read the prologue and the first chapter.

" **Grams told me my binoculars were going to get me into trouble. I just wouldn't believe her. See, Grams worries. All the time. About the way I dress and the food I eat, about me getting home on time, and especially about nosy Mrs. Graybill seeing me come and go."**

"Who's Mrs. Graybill? And why does Sammy have to worry about Mrs. Graybill spotting her?" were the main questions asked around, until Mr. Caan stopped everyone's talking ("QUIET! Maybe if we listen we'll understand!").

"**It's not like I try to upset her-I try really hard not to-it's that somehow Grams winds up worrying and I usually get blamed for it."**

Mumbles of understanding chorused around the auditorium. Even a couple, "I know how you feels."

"**So when she'd see me looking out the window with my binoculars and say, "Samantha Keyes, you mark my words, those things are going to get you in a heap of trouble someday," I'd just say, "Mmm," and keep right on looking. I figured it was just Grams doing some more worrying about nothing."**

Snorts were heard from the people who have overprotective families that state that one day something bad would happen and it did.

"**That is, until I saw a man stealing money from a hotel room across the street-and he saw me."**

Gasps were heard throughout the auditorium.

Finally, a brave person spoke, cutting through the stunned audience, "What happens next?"

Cries of agreement were shouted out.

"We don't know," the principle spoke. "Marissa, if you will."

I turned the page and began.

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**Should I continue? Is it for keeps or shall I give it the sweeps? Review! **


	2. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Well, except the plot.**

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I turned the page and began to read.

"**Chapter One. It's not like I was trying to get into trouble."**

Those who knew Sammy laughed out loud.

"**And it's not like it was **_**my **_**fault I was stuck inside the apartment. If it was anybody's fault it was Mrs. Graybill's. Mrs. Graybill lives down the hall and has to be the nosiest person who ever lived. I swear she's got nothing better to do than to stand by her door, waiting for someone to do something she doesn't think they're supposed to be doing. Grams says she's just a bitter old woman, but when I ask **_**why**_** she's bitter, Grams doesn't seem to have much of an answer. She usually just shrugs and says, "It happens to people sometimes," and then changes the subject.**

**Anyhow, it's on account of Mrs. Graybill that I was stuck inside when I wanted to be outside. And since there's not much for me to do because everything I own has to be able to fit inside Grams' bottom dresser drawer, I was using the binoculars to at least see what was going on outside."**

"Why does all of her things have to fit in her Grams' dresser drawer? Why can't she just walk outside?" someone a couple of people to the left of me asked.

"For the last time, we don't know!" Mr. Caan shouted, trying to pinpoint the speaker's position in the crowd.

"Read on, Marissa," the principle encouraged me.

"**First I checked out the Pup Parlor. You can see some pretty weird-looking dogs leaving the Pup Parlor."**

"Hey! I find that offensive!" Holly shouted.

Everyone craned their necks to look at her as if she had grown a second head.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Holly," I spoke, looking into her eyes, "you do know you're talking to a book, right?"

"Of course," she answered, rolling her eyes as if I was an idiot for asking. "I just find it offensive, you know, 'cause I work there."

"Right," I mumbled before continuing.

"**Most of them come out all puffed up and wearing ribbons like they're going to a party instead of going home to sleep on the couch."**

Holly started to glare daggers at the book.

"**But since we're on the fifth floor and the Pup Parlor's clear down the street, there isn't really much to see if nobody's going in to pick up their puffy dogs. And since nobody **_**was **_**going****in to pick up their puffy dogs, I didn't spend much time watching.**

**I didn't waste time at Bargain Books, either. The only interesting thing I ever saw there was when the owner, Mr. Bell, chased this kid all the way down to Main Street, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Stop! You come back here and get your filthy bubble gum off my wall!" His face was all red and I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He caught the guy in the middle of the intersection at Broadway and Main and dragged him clear back up the bookstore by his collar. Then he made him pull the gum off the wall and throw it in the trash can. The boy looked really embarrassed, kind of checking around to see if anyone was watching him pick these big strands of goopy gum off the wall. I waved, but he didn't see me, and pretty soon Mr. Bell let him go."**

By the end of the paragraph everyone in the auditorium was hunched over in hysterics.

"That had to be hilarious!" Dot and Holly said in between laughs.

"**Anyhow, I cruised right by the bookstore and started checking out the hotel. Grams hates the Heavenly Hotel-calls it seedy, but I think she's wrong. One time I even went inside. There was a man with greased-back hair sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper and smoking a cigar. He kind of eyed me from behind the paper, then rolled his cigar over to one side of his mouth and said, "Lookin' for someone?" I just smiled and shook my head and sat down in one of the fuzzy green chairs they have waiting for you in the lobby. I'd always wanted to sit in a chair like that. The kind with the curvy legs that have paws on the ends of them and then backs that go way up. The backs on the ones in the Heavenly Hotel are pointy-like the pope's hat, only green."**

Every was laughing once again, thinking of the pope wearing a lime green pointed hat.

"**Anyhow, I'm busy trying out of the chairs when the guy behind the counter says, "You sure?"**

**I nod and ask him, "How old do you have to be to live here?"**

Almost immediately, faces were filled with confusion and questions were fired ("Why would she want to live _there_?")

Before someone could blow a gasket trying to calm everyone down, I continued reading.

"**He squints at me and rolls his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. "Where's your mother?"**

**Now there's no way I wanted to get into **_**that**_**, so I just hopped out of the chair and headed for the door. I'd seen enough of the Heavenly Hotel anyways. It wasn't anything like Grams had told me. I was expecting a bunch of people hanging around like they do in front of the Salvation Army but all I got to see was some old guy gnawing on a cigar.**

**Anyhow, from our window you can't see the pope-hat chairs or the guy with the cigar-not even with the binoculars. Actually, you can't see much of anything until you're looking about at the third floor. Then things start getting pretty good. Usually you just see people looking out their windows, pointing to stuff on the street or talking on the phone, but sometimes you can see people yelling at each other, which is really strange because you can't **_**hear**_** anything."**

"That is pretty strange," someone spoke up. All heads turned to face the person: Holly.

"What?" she asked innocently. "All you have to do is think of a time when someone was yelling at you and remove all sound."

Everyone thought about it for a second before nodding their heads in agreement. It was pretty strange.

"**So I'd started looking at the hotel windows and was checking out the fourth floor when I noticed this guy moving around one of the rooms kind of fast. He disappeared for a little while but when he came back by the window I could see him digging through a purse like a dog after a gopher. And not only was he pawing through a purse, he was wearing gloves. Black gloves."**

By now everyone was on the edge of their seats in anticipation.

"**What I should've was put those binoculars down and call 911."**

Most people were nodding their heads in agreement about that statement. Knowing Sammy, though, she probably didn't do that.

"**What I did instead was try to get the focus tight on my right eye. When I got the binoculars adjusted so that I could practically see him breathing in and out, I got the strangest feeling that I'd seen this guy before. Either that, or I knew his brother or something.**

**And I'm trying to get a better look at his face through all his bushy brown hair and beard, when he stuffs a wad of money from the purse into his jacket pocket and then looks up. Right at me."**

Gasps filled the room.

"**For a second there I don't think he believed his eyes. He kind of leaned into the window and stared, and I stared right back through the binoculars. Then I did something really, really stupid. I waved."**

A stunned silence filled the auditorium before someone, Dot, broke it. "She waved?"

Holly, who was sitting next to her, stared at the book open-mouthed. Sure she heard about the hotel thief but she didn't know Sammy waved at him.

"**He didn't wave back. He just took a good hard look at me and then ducked out of view.**

**I sat there for a minute not knowing what to do. I wanted to run and tell Grams, but I knew all **_**that**_** would do was get me in trouble. See, she doesn't know I look at the hotel-she thinks I just watch people on the street. Besides, I'd have to tell her about how he saw me, and that would make her worry. **_**I **_**was worried, and if I was worried you can just picture how Grams would be."**

I could tell Holly, Dot, and I were all thinking the same thing: Grams would be worried to the max.

"**I thought about dialing 911, but the only phone in the apartment is in the kitchen and since Grams was in there making dinner I couldn't exactly go dialing Emergency without her knowing about it.**

**Then I thought about running down to the police station. It's only about four blocks from the apartment and I could've been there in no time. Trouble was, Mrs. Graybill.**

**So I'm sitting there, trying to figure out what to do, when Grams calls, "Samantha? It's time to feed that cat of yours."**

**I jumped right up and said, "Coming!" and the whole time fixing Dorito's-"**

"Hold up!" someone called. "She named her cat Dorito?"

Holly, Dot, and I all looked at each other before replying as one, "Yep."

"**-dinner, I'm watching Grams out of the corner of my eye.**

**Well, she's measuring out some rice, watching **_**me**_** out of the corner of **_**her**_** eye. Pretty soon she stops measuring. "What have you been up to, young lady?" "Up to? Me?"**

I could hear Dot mumble to Holly, "She really must be desperate. Either that or she's still a bit shaken up."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Holly nod.

"**She puts down the measuring cup and takes off her glasses. "Yes, Samantha, you."**

**I check out my high-tops for a minute, kind of studying the place wgere the rubber's peeling away at the toe. "Nothing."**

"**Ha!" That's all she says. "Ha!" But what that **_**means**_** is I'm busted and had better start doing some pretty fast talking. Either that or come right out and tell the truth.**

**I step on the peeling rubber with my other foot, trying to break it off, but it just snaps back. When I look up at Grams, her hands have made it up to her hips so I know it's time to come out with the truth."**

Most of the teachers nodded their heads, as if she was doing the right thing. Ha! The obviously don't know her.

"**At least part of it."**

The same teachers that nodded their heads were now shaking them as if saying that they should've known better than that.

"**I was using the binoculars. Sorry."**

**She lets out a little sigh-"Oh"-and turns back to the rice.**

**So there I am, waiting for her to ask me what I saw, thinking that maybe I'll tell her because I'm feeling kind of shaky about the whole thing, but she doesn't ask. She just sprinkles out some more rice and says, "Well, I suppose it can't be helped with Daisy being such a busybody today." And I'm standing there, not real sure I like getting off the hook so easy, when she turns to me and says, "You know what the problem is? The problem is that I haven't taught you how to knit."**

Dot, Holly, and I couldn't help it. We busted out laughing, saying in-between laughs, "She…tried…to…teach…her…to…_knit?_"

"**I couldn't believe my ears. "To **_**knit**_**?"**

**Now Grams doesn't usually get too excited about stuff but when she does you can tell because her eyes get really big and she starts **_**moving**_**. And thinking about teaching me to knit was making those eyes of hers pop **_**wide**_** open. I just said, "Uh-oh," and got real busy giving Dorito fresh water.**

**It didn't help. She comes over to me with this measuring cup full of rice and says, "To knit, or crochet, or embroider-that's it! I'm going to teach you how to embroider."**

"_Embroider?" _Dot and Holly shouted before laughing again.

"_**Embroider?"**_** I fill up Dorito's water dish. "No way!"**

**She chases after me with that cup of rice in her hand. "It would be fun. Trust me, you would enjoy it! Besides, it would give you something constructive to do on the days when you have to stay in."**

**I look straight at her. "I would **_**hate**_** it." Then I point to the kettle of water splashing away like crazy on the stove. "Water's boiling."**

**She hurries over to the stove. "How do you know you'd hate it? You've never even tried it."**

**I laugh. "Oh yes I have. Lady Lana tried to teach me."**

Everybody was confused, all wondering the same thing: Who is Lady Lana?

"Who?" someone in the last row asked. I shook my head.

_**Please **_**don't call her that."**

**I just shrug. "Well she did. When I was in the third grade. I kept poking myself with the needle and she got mad at me 'cause I bled all over the place."**

**Grams didn't have much to say to that. I mean, everyone knows how much my mother likes blood."**

A chorus of "Oh so that's who Lady Lana is" went around the room.

"**So she stirs the rice some and finally she says, "Well, okay then. I'll teach you how to knit."**

**I groan, but I can tell it's hopeless. Grams is going to teach me how to knit whether I like it or not.**

**Just then the doorbell rings. Now normally when the doorbell rings I just get up from doing whatever I'm doing, make sure none of my stuff is sitting around the living room, and head for Grams' closet.**

**This time, though, I jumped. I jumped and I yelped like a puppy. And all of a sudden my heart's pounding because I know who it is.**

**It's the guy I saw at the Heavenly Hotel, come to shut me up for good."**

Everyone, who were all on the edge of their seats, sat back bummed to find out that it was the end of the chapter.

"Who wants to read next?" I asked holding the book up while looking for a person.

"I will!" a voice volunteered. I turned to see…

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**Ooooooohhhhhh. Cliff Hanger! Who do you think it is! Review your answer! Those who are right get a virtual cookie!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Thanks to all those reviewed my new story!**

**A special thanks to Gina Park and jordon who guessed it right. **

**You were also close storylover8 it was an Acosta but not the one you mentioned.**

**To Some-Random-Crazy-Person: I felt the same way! I thought that if no one else was going to do it, I might as well do it!**

**Well, I think that's about it.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Sammy Keyes or her amigos.

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I looked around to face Casey standing in the doorway with several other former eighth grader students of the school. Most of them, though were people on the softball team. They all shared the same goal to help find Sammy. We quickly filled them in on what happened so far. It wasn't much, but hey, if I walked in just now I would feel a little bit left out.

I handed Casey the book.

"**Chapter Two. The only thing I could find in Grams' closet to use on the guy was an umbrella. It was one of the old kind, big and black with a nice fat point. I sat there, waiting, holding the thing like a spear. And when Grams finally opened the closet door, well, I was so sure it was the guy from the Heavenly that I almost jabbed her in the stomach.**

**She jumps back. "Samantha Jo! What in the world-?"**

**I peek around her and whisper, "Who was that?"**

"**It's Marissa." She yanks the umbrella away from me and puts it back in the closet.**

"**Marissa? What's she doing here?"**

**Grams just shrugs. "Go ask her yourself."**

**I go charging out to the living room and there's Marissa, kind of dancing around with her feet pointing toward each other, chewing on a fingernail. "What's wrong?"**

**She starts dancing even faster. "It's Mikey! We were playing video games at the mall and all of a sudden I turned around and he was gone. I can't find him anywhere. Mom's supposed to be home in half an hour and if she finds out-"**

"**Okay, okay…. Did you check the pet store?"**

**She says, "The pet store!" like it's some brainstorm instead of the very first place she should've looked."**

By now nearly everyone was laughing, and I'm pretty sure my face looked like a tomato.

I motioned for Casey to continue.

"**Come on!"**

**I yank on her sweatshirt. "Hang on, would you?" Then I go find Grams and say, "Would you check the hall?"**

"**But it's dinnertime!"**

**I look over at Marissa, who's chewing on a nail. "It's important, Grams."**

**She thinks about this for a minute, then sighs. "Well, okay." She peeks down at Mrs. Graybill's door and looks back with a smile. "Don't be long."**

**So we tiptoe past Mrs. Graybill's place, then race to the fire escape stairs. Sometimes I use the regular stairs and sometimes I even use the elevator. It depends. The elevator's okay to use if I'm leaving and not coming back, like if I'm going to spend the night at Marissa's. The regular stairs I'd use all the time, only they come out right by the mailboxes and it seems like someone always sees me. With the fire escape all I have to worry about is that someone's going to notice the wad of gum I put in the jamb to keep it from locking, and so far no one has.**

**So** **we go banging down the stairs and pretty soon we're running past the Dumpsters, across the parking lot to Main Street, and over to the mall.**

**Since the pet store's way down at the far end of the mall we decided to first check for Mikey at the arcade, just in case **_**he's**_** looking for Marissa.**

**Mikey's kind of hard to miss. He's what Grams calls a little butterball."**

"You got that right," I mumbled, chuckling a bit.

"**He's got curly black hair that never looks combed, even when it's just been combed. He's short, even for someone who's only eight years old, and fat. Really fat. Mrs. McKenze says he'll grow out of it, but in the meantime he's stocking up on candy bars.**

**Anyhow, we check the arcade but he's not there, and as we're running toward the escalator I ask, "Did you have him paged?"**

"**Paged?"**

**I duck past people on the escalator. "Yeah, paged! You know, 'Mikey McKenze, please report to the arcade immediately. Your sister is looking for you.'"**

**She catches up to me. "You can do that?"**

** "Sure. People do it all the time."**

"That's just sad," Holly mumbled. "Lot's of people losing kids in the mall. Bah! I'm sure next they'll be losing all their stuff and they'll be all, 'Oh no! I bet if I'm able to remember where I place my kids, I'd be able to find my wallet. Oh, I should go apologize to my dear Bartholomew for all those times I lost him in the mall!' What if the power went out, huh? What then! Would you be all-"

I'm pretty sure Holly would've continued for about ten more minutes if Dot hadn't placed her hand over Holly's mouth. Holly just glared. Bartholomew? Really?

I motioned for Casey to continue.

"**Just then the mall loudspeakers blare, "Good afternoon, shoppers! This is Rockin' Rick comin' atcha from the KRQK rock party booth. We're set up right outside Jammin' Records on the south end of the first level, and we've been here all weekend giving away prizes. We've only got a few hours to go on this back-to-school weekend and we've still got mountains to give away. CDs, calculators, sweatshirts, a five-in-one Kanga book bag…you name it, we're trying to give it away. Stop by the booth and register! It's fast, it's free, and you still have time. That's the KRQK party booth, right outside Jammin' Records. Come on down!"**

**Marissa stops moving. "That was Rockin' Rick!"**

**I yank on her and say, "You're in a panic about Mikey, remember?"**

**"But that's Rockin' Rick! He's here!"**

**I pull her off the escalator. "So we'll meet him after we check the pet store. C'mon!"**

**We race down the mall and we're flying past Juicers when Marissa squeaks to a stop. "Hey, look! My cousin's working! Maybe he's seen Mikey."**

**Brandon's a nice guy. He's in high school and he's on the swim team so his hair's turned this really shiny red where it used to be black. He's really friendly and even invites Marissa and me to his swim meets sometimes. Most kids in high school won't even talk to you if you're in junior high. They act like you're a baby or pretend you're not even there.**

**Anyhow, we run up to the counter and Marissa says, "Brandon! Have you seen Mikey? He was supposed to stick with me at the arcade and I don't know what happened-he took off."**

**Brandon smiles. "You can't miss Mikey." he points and says, "He was headed thataway-about twenty minutes ago." then he says, "Hiya, Sammy. How's life?" I don't know why, but whenever Brandon talks to me I wind up looking at my feet, not knowing what to say. So there I am, looking down, popping the rubber on my high-tops, and what do I say? "Fine." Brilliant, huh? Fine.**

**Marissa tugs on my arm and says to Brandon, "If you see him, tell him to go back to the arcade and wait for me, okay?" Brandon waves and says, "Will do," and off we go to the pet store.**

**The pet store used to sell real pets. You know, like dogs? Now they sell mice and birds and your occasional box turtle. Those and fish. Rows and rows of fish. I don't care what anyone says, fish don't belong in a pet store. They are not pets. I could go my whole life without seeing another fish blubbing away in a tank.**

**Mikey couldn't. he can watch fish for hours. For a while there he kept asking the girl at the register if he could please feed the fish, but she always said no. I guess she was too busy reading her fashion magazine to be bothered making a roly-poly guy with chocolate all over his face happy. She told him they were on a schedule-"**

"Somehow, I don't believe that," Holly remarked. Dot and I nodded are heads in agreement.

"**-if you can believe that."**

"Still don't believe it," Holly replied, smirking. I shook my head at her antics.

"**Anyhow-"**

"What's with all those anyhows? Anyhow that, anyhow this! I'm going to go into an anyhow overdrive!" Holly exclaimed.

"**-we go charging into the pet store and there's the girl behind the register, reading a magazine. Marissa runs up and says, "Have you seen my brother?"**

**The girl just nods towards the fishtanks without even looking at us.**

**Mikey's there alright, sitting on the floor with a tub of popcorn, watching the fish go back and forth. Marissa hauls him to his feet. "You're supposed to stay with me!"**

**Popcorn goes flying everywhere, and Mikey's so surprised he starts choking. He tries to talk but you can't understand a word he's saying because he's too busy coughing.**

**Marissa shakes him. "Don't you ever do that again!"**

**Finally he spits out, "But you **_**said**_** I could!"**

"**I did not!"**

**Mikey wipes the popcorn of his face with the back of his hand and says real loud, "Did too!"**

"Gotta love younger siblings," Dot noted.

"Hear, hear!" I agreed.

**Marissa grabs him by the arm. "And look at all this stuff! You've had enough junk food to last you a year!"**

"**Have not!"**

**Marissa starts picking wrappers off the floor. "A Reese's, a Snickers-no, **_**two**_** Snickers-an ice cream cone…" She does a double take at the napkin and freezes. "You had a Double Dynamo!"**

**Mikey looks from side to side like he's about to bolt.**

"Clear sign of a guilty conscience," Holly observed.

"**You were supposed to stick with me and you went clear out to Maynard's?"**

**Mikey looks straight at her. "I didn't, honest! Oscar had his ice cream cart right outside Jammin' Records. I barely even had to go outside."**

**Marissa squints at him a minute, thinking. Finally she finishes picking up his mess and says, "Did you see the KRQK booth?"**

**Mikey shrugs. "Yeah."**

"**Did you see Rockin' Rick?"**

**Mikey shrugs again. "I think."**

"**Well? What did he look like?"**

"**I don't know…kinda dumb."**

"**Dumb? What do you mean, 'Kinda dumb'? Rockin' Rick's the coolest!" She turns to me and rolls her eyes. "Let's go down there and see if we can meet him."**

**So off we all go, down the escalator and over to the KRQK booth. There's music playing all right, and there are two ladies in the booth helping people register, but there's nobody who looks like he could be Rockin' Rick.**

**Marissa finally goes up and asks, and one of the ladies says, "He should be back in a little bit. Maybe twenty minutes?"**

**Marissa makes a face. "Darn! I can't wait that long. I've got to get home."**

"**Me too. Grams is probably holding dinner for me."**

"**Hey, you want to meet me on the steps at school tomorrow?" She laughs. "I get nervous just thinking about it!"**

**I say, "Sure!" because about the last thing I feel like doing is swimming through a sea of seventh- and eighth-graders all by myself."**

Nods of agreement went around the room. About the last thing _any_body wants to do is go through the first day of junior high by yourself.

**I wave good-bye and head across the mall. And I'm busy thinking about what seventh grade is going to be like, when for some reason I look back over my shoulder. Then I look again, because coming straight at me is a man with bushy brown hair and a beard."**

Almost everyone's eyes grew wide, along with a couple of gasps.

"**My heart about shoots through my chest, and the next thing you know I'm running. I race down the main corridor and then take a quick left and duck into the bookstore.**

**And I'm squatting down by the newspapers, peeking out the window, when here he comes, walking by. And I'm trying to figure out if he's the hotel thief or not, when all of a sudden he stops. Right in front of the bookstore.**

**My heart's whacking its way out of my chest and my legs are feeling really wobbly, but then the next thing you know he's kissing this lady and the two of them walk off, pushing their baby stroller.**

**I stayed in the bookstore a minute, trying to quit shaking, and when I finally caught my breath, I got up and started hurrying home.**

**And I guess I was still worrying about who was behind me because I kept looking over my shoulder-"**

"Can you spell 'paranoid'?" Holly whispered to Dot and me.

"Yeah," Dot murmured. "S-A-M-M-Y."

"**-and when I turned a corner I bumped right into a man saddled up with shopping bags.**

**I said, "I'm sorry!" but he didn't say a word. He just pulled down the bill of his ball cap, picked up his packages, and walked away with his eyes to the ground.**

**I watched him go, and when he was out of sight I kind of shook my head and headed out of the mall.**

**And I was just thinking that I'd be back before Grams had had a chance to finish fluffing the rice, when I noticed police cars parked out in front of the Heavenly Hotel.**

**And with all the commotion at the hotel-well, there was no way I could just pass by without taking a peek inside."**

Sammy, Sammy, Sammy, what _are_ we gonna do with you? Going into hotels that have just been robbed instead of going back to Grams.

"And that's the end of the chapter," Casey noted, knocking me out of my reverie. "Who's next?"

"I'll go!" Holly volunteered, yanking the book out of Casey's hands and clearing her throat.

She began.

* * *

_**ReViEw!**_**Also****I've been thinking and do you think I should put ol' Borshie in sometime later or should I not? That is the question that haunts me at the moment.**


	4. Chapter Three

**I am deeply sorry for making you all wait, but I'm trying to finish a couple of my stories so I could have more time to work on others like this one. Thanks to all who reviewed! After much consideration I decided to put Officer Borsch in, just not right now. Maybe in a couple of chapters into the future, about chapter five or six?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sammy and her friends :'(**

**Lights, Camera, **_**Action!**_

* * *

Clearing her throat, Holly began. **"Chapter three. I really thought it might only take a minute and that Grams wouldn't even notice I was late. I thought wrong. There were kids hanging around outside the Heavenly Hotel, peeking in the windows, but they didn't seem to know anything. And since the door was propped open, I just walked in.**

**There were only adults inside, so I found a spot where I thought the policemen wouldn't notice me-right behind one of those pope-hat chairs.**

**Now I don't mind policemen. Actually, when I was in the fourth grade I wanted to **_**be**_** one, but that was before Lady Lana left me with Grams and I had to start worrying about someone finding out. When you're living where you not supposed to be living, it doesn't take long to figure out that you should stay away from people who ask nosy questions, and believe me, policemen like to ask lots of nosy questions."**

"How would she know that policemen tend to ask a lot of nosy questions?" somebody asked.

I turned to look at the person, giving them an are-you-serious look.

"They obviously don't know Sammy," Dot whispered to Holly and me.

"**And you can tell they'd been asking this one lady lots and **_**lots**_** of nosy questions. The lady was wearing a dress that looked like it was made out of metal."**

"_Metal? _Why on earth would a dress be made out of _metal_?" Heather screeched, scandalized.

"**It had tiny silver hoops all linked together that kind of shimmered when she moved. She had on pointy silver high heels and silver nylons, and she had really long fingernails that were painted black with silver moons and stars. Her hair was all swirled around on top of her head and plastered with so much hair spray that it didn't move, even though she was yelling and shaking her head back and forth so much that her long silver earring were swinging around, practically hitting her in the cheeks.**

**I moved a little bit closer, behind another pope-hat chair. The policeman was telling her, "Now miss, please, calm down." **

"**Quit telling me to calm down! I'll calm down when you find my money!"**

"Gosh," Billy, who was sitting next to Casey, scoffed. "Demanding much?"

**There are two policemen taking the report, but I can only see the face of one. He's tall and skinny and has lots of white teeth and a stringy little mustache. He says, "You say it was four thousand dollars?"**

"Four thousand dollars!" Dot whisper-shrieked to me. "Holy shmokes that's a lot of money!"

"**What are you, deaf? Yes, four thousand dollars!"**

**The policemen scribbles away in his notebook. "And why did you say you were carrying this much cash around?"**

**Those earrings start flying again. "I **_**didn't **_**say, and it's none of your business! Your business is to find out who stole it from me!"**

**Tall 'n' Skinny just scribbles some more in his notebook, then tugs on a corner of his mustache and says, "We'll do our best."**

"That's it? That's all they say! 'We'll do our best.'" Dot mumbled under her breath.

"**She threw her hands up in the air. "That's **_**it?**_** That's all you're gonna do? What about fingerprints? Aren't you at least going to look for fingerprints?"**

**Before I can stop myself, I step out from behind the pope-hat chair and say, "You won't find any fingerprints?"**

"Wait, Sammy really busted her cover like that?" Casey asked us curiosity getting the best of him.

We nodded our heads.

_We'll find you were ever you are, Sammy, I promise,_ I swore to myself.

"**For a second, everything's quiet. Tall 'n' Skinny quits playing with his mustache, and the lady's earrings come in for a landing. Then everyone-and I mean **_**everyone**_**-turns around and stares at me. All of a sudden my throat's feeling kind of ticklish, so it only comes out as a whisper when I say, "He was wearing gloves."**

**The second policeman turns around to look at me, and I just want to disappear."**

"Why?" Casey asked, confusion written all over his face.

"**It's Officer Borsch-"**

"Oh," Casey said, nodding his head in understanding, "that's why."

"**-the man behind my one and only experience with the law."**

Everyone let out a chuckle at that. I mean, who wouldn't? _Sammy Keyes only having one experience with the law? _It was pretty funny.

"**See, he gave me a ticket once."**

"She got a _ticket_?" One of the teachers asked, looking horrorstricken.

"**For jaywalking. And it's not like it's so bad, getting a ticket for jaywalking, it's just that I thought it was stupid. So I gave him the wrong name. The wrong name, and the wrong everything else."**

Cue teachers with horrorstricken faces.

"She lied to people with _authority_!" Several teachers shrieked.

Other teachers, though, seemed to have a sort of understanding in their eyes, like it was kind of stupid.

"**So there I am, staring at him, trying like mad to remember the name I gave him when I got caught jaywalking. And I'm thinking that maybe I **_**shouldn't**_** remember it, because he's staring at me like he's trying to remember who I am, and if I give him the name I made up maybe he **_**will**_** remember, and then I'll be in some major trouble, when the lady croaks out, "What did you say?"**

**I mumble, "He was wearing gloves."**

**Officer Borsch says, "**_**Who**_** was wearing gloves?"**

**I try to shrink a few inches. "The man I saw on the fourth floor taking money out of a purse."**

**The lady yells, "See!"**

**Officer Borsch squints at me. "And how did you happen to see someone on the fourth floor stealing money out of a purse?"**

"Oh, you know, through binoculars," Holly shrugged as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

"**Now you have to understand, Officer Borsch isn't the kind of man it's easy to lie to. He's big. He's Mikey, all grown up and in a very bad mood. His hair's done with Crisco, and his shirt is so tight it looks like he's trying to press it from the inside out. On top of that he's nosy. Very nosey. When he gave me that ticket for jaywalking, he must've asked me a hundred questions that didn't have a thing to do with jaywalking. And I thought I was so smart, answering every single one of them with a lie. I remember throwing the ticket away in a Dumpster, feeling like I'd just hit a home run, and now here I was-face to face with the Borsch-man, on the verge of getting thrown into Juvenile Hall.**

"**I asked you a question!"**

"Gosh, demanding much," I mumbled under my breath.

"**Huh? Oh! Ummmmmm…" I look around and can tell-everyone knows I'm trying to think up a lie. So I blurt out, "I saw him through binoculars."**

"**Binoculars?" he says. "From where?"**

**I try to sound real calm. "From across the street."**

**Officer Borsch squints even harder. "You want to tell me you could see someone clear up on the fourth floor from across the street."**

"Yep," Billy nods, "that's pretty much what happened."

"**I nod and he blows air out of his mouth like a deflating balloon.**

**"Leave her alone!" The lady moves in a little closer to me. "Go ahead, honey, tell me what you saw."**

**I look at her for a minute, thinking that four thousand dollars is an awful lot of money— "**

"No duh," Billy spoke up and was about to continue, but a glare was sent his way from one of the teachers for interrupting _yet again._

**"—and that if it were mine, I sure would want it back. Finally I say. "I was visiting my grandmother in the Senior Highrise. I was bored, so I started looking around with binoculars and I saw some guy taking money out of a purse."**

**She grabs me by the shoulders and I can feel her little fingernail galaxies digging into my back. "When? When did you see this?"**

**"About an hour ago."**

**She yells at Tall 'n' Skinny, "What did I tell you?" then turns back to me. "And honey, what did this man look like?"**

**"He had brown hair and a brown beard, and he was wearing black gloves and a black jacket."**

**Officer Borsch pushes the lady aside. "Was he tall, was he short?"**

**"Kind of medium."**

**"What kind of jacket was it?"**

"She wasn't joking, police officers _do _ask a lot of questions," Casey said as we listened to Sammy being interrogated by Officer Borsch.

**"It was straight with big pockets."**

**"What do you mean, 'straight'?" he asks.**

**"You know—it wasn't puffy, it was straight."**

**"Heavy?"**

**"Kind of medium."**

**He shakes his head. "'Kind of medium'—oh that's a real good description."**

**Well, let me tell you, I didn't like the way he was rolling his eyes and talking down to me."**

"Of course she doesn't," I sigh, placing my head in my hands.

**"He was treating me like a stupid little kid, and I'm not a stupid little kid. So when he sighs ans says, "Could you at least tell me, was he skinny or fat?" I point to Tall 'n' Skinny and say, "Well, he wasn't as skinny as him…" then I point to the Borsch-man, "…and he sure wasn't as fat as you."**

The entire auditorium, aside from a couple of teachers, busts out into laughter.

**"The lady busts up, but Officer Borsch doesn't think it's too funny. His neck gets kind of red and he puts his face right next to mine. "Look, little girl, we've had five burglaries in this vicinity in the past two weeks. We don't have time for your wisecracks. If you know something, tell us. If you don't, or you're just making all this up, then go home to your mommy and let us do our work."**

"Harsh," Holly muttered.

**"The lady steps in. "Honey, how old do you think he was?"**

**Now, I'm okay at guessing some things, but age is not one of them. "I don't know, maybe…forty?"**

**Officer Borsch mumbles, "Kind of medium, huh?" and then laughs like he's the funniest guy in the building. He clears his throat. "Look, we'll get your name and number and if we have any further questions we'll just call you."**

**There goes my heart again, knocking away in my chest. "I've told you everything I can think of." Except, I'm thinking, the fact that it feels like I've seen the guy somewhere before.**

**Tall 'n' Skinny flips open his notebook. "Well, just in case, let's get your name and address."**

Realization dawned on me as I realize that this is the reason why the police showed up at my doorstep.

**Great. And I'm thinking, How do I get myself into these things? when out of my mouth pops, "Samantha Keyes, six three seven five East Jasmine."**

**Now if they were thinking at all, they would've taken one look at me and known—there's no I live on East Jasmine. East Jasmine is where they have two houses to a block. East Jasmine is where they have gates in front of their driveways and riding mowers for their lawns. East Jasmine is where people from out of town go just to gawk.**

**And 6375 East Jasmine is where Marissa lives.**

**Tall 'n' Skinny doesn't even blink. He just scribbles it down and says, "Very good. We'll contact you if we need you."**

And to think, these are the people we rely on to catch criminals such as the hotel thief.

"**So I say to the lady, "I hope you get your money back," and then head out the door.**

**One of the kids outside calls, "Hey, what's going on in there?"**

**I shrug, "Just a burglary." And I'm about to jaywalk across the street when I glance back at the Heavenly and see Officer Borsch watching me through the doorway.**

**I stop and head down to the intersection, because I can tell—Officer Borsch is not going to sleep well until he remembers just exactly where he's run into me before."**

"Who's next?" Holly asked holding out the book.

"Oh! Pick me! Pick me!" Billy shouted, causing the majority of the student population to shake their heads. He grabbed the book and, after clearing his throat for dramatic effect, began to read.

* * *

Questions? Comments? Concerns?


	5. Chapter Four

**You know the drill:**

**Disclaimer: I, O814, do not own Sammy Keyes in any way, shape, or form.**

**Lights, Camera, **_**Action!**_

* * *

_"Who's next?" Holly asked holding out the book._

_"Oh! Pick me! Pick me!" Billy shouted, causing the majority of the student population to shake their heads. He grabbed the book and, after clearing his throat for dramatic effect, began to read._

* * *

**"Chapter Four. Grams was mad all right. She made me eat cold fish and rice, and wouldn't let me get up from the table until I'd eaten every single cold pea rolling around on my plate."**

Billy winced in sympathy at what Sammy had to endure.

"**Normally I would've just slipped Dorito some of the fish and shoved the peas in my napkin, but Grams sat right across from me and I knew from the way she wasn't saying anything that it was a bad time to get caught using Dorito as a garbage disposal."**

Laughter rang about the auditorium.

**"On top of that, while I was choking down cold food she ate every last crumb of a big piece of pound cake. When I had finished my dinner and asked for some. All she said was, "It's time for you to go to bed."**

**So I headed for the couch."**

"Wait, she sleeps on the _couch_?"

Those who knew Sammy personally nodded their heads in agreement.

**"The couch is actually pretty comfortable, and it beats sleeping on the floor or with Grams. I tried sleeping with Grams when I first moved in because I was having so many bad dreams. Trouble is, she snores so loud that I wasn't getting any sleep, so I finally started using the couch. I still get bad dreams once in a while, so sometimes I go in and listen to Grams snore, but most of the time the couch and I get along just fine.**

**And you might think that I'd have bad dreams after waving at the guy in the Heavenly Hotel and running into Officer Borsch—"**

The majority of the audience nodded as if that was a logical assumption.

**"—but I didn't."**

"Of course she didn't," I murmured.

**"I slept like a log."**

"Of course she did."

"**I might even have snored.**

**In the morning when I woke up I thought about everything that had happened, and decided there was no way the guy at the Heavenly Hotel could know who I was. With those binoculars in front of my face and my hair pulled pack in a ponytail like it was, I could have been anyone. He might even have thought I was an old person. I mean, if he knew anything about my Grams' building, that's what he'd think.**

Several people nodded at her way of thinking, it was kind of logical.

**So there I was, lying on the couch, feeling pretty good, when the phone rings. Grams comes scooting out of her room in her robe and slippers and picks it up, and I can tell from the way she's talking that it's Lady Lana on the other end. So much for feeling good."**

"She really has to stop being so dramatic," Holly commented.

**"After about five minutes of keeping her voice down, Grams covers up the phone and says, "Samantha, it's your mother. She'd really like to talk to you."**

**Normally I would've given Grams an argument, but seeing as how I'd upset her so much the night before, I just went into the kitchen and took the phone.**

**Lady Lana starts gushing about how much she loves me and misses me and how she can't wait to see me again, but she's **_**so**_** close to landing a part in a part in a major motion picture and has to stay just a little while longer. And the whole time she's talking I'm thinking that it's been over a year since she dumped with Grams and told she'd be back "soon."**

"Poor Sammy."

**"I really wanted to hang up on her like I usually do—"**

Looks that plainly read _How rude! _formed on several teachers faces.

**"—but that upsets Grams, so I just stood there, counting the loops in the phone cord, not saying much.**

**When Lady Lana finally got off the phone, I went back to the couch and sat with the blanket wrapped all around me. Grams sits beside me and says real quiet, "I'm sorry about last night."**

**"Me too."**

**After a minute, she sighs. "You know your mother means well…"**

**"I just want to forget about her, okay?"**

**Grams is quiet for a little while, then perks up and says, "Say! It's your first d ay of junior high school—how about French toast for breakfast?"**

**I say, "Sure!" and while I'm getting ready for school Grams makes me French toast out of **_**pound cake**_**."**

"Oh yum," I heard several people moan at the thought of food.

**"it was the best French toast I'd ever had, and by the time I left for school I'd forgetten all about Lady Lana's phone call."**

I felt an eyebrow quirking up in disbelief. _Surely she wouldn't have forgotten about it._

**"Well, almost anyway."**

I felt a small, satisfied smile growing on my face.

Dot must have noticed because she quickly asked why I was smiling.

"Nothing," I answered, motioning for Billy to continue.

**"Marissa was already waiting at the top of the school steps. I waved at her and ran up to meet her.**

**She pulls me aside and whispers, "This place is a zoo! I can't believe how many people are here."**

**We stand there a minute, watching everyone talking and laughing and moving like they know where they're going. Finally I look at Marissa and say, "Wow…"**

**"I know! And I don't see anybody I recognize, do you?"**

**I shake my head. "Maybe we should go find our homeroom."**

**We pull out our schedules and Marissa says, "B-2. I don't even remember where the B block is, do you?"**

"Oh that's easy! It's—"

I shot an exasperated look at Billy, cutting him off mid-sentence.

**"I didn't. Everything looked completely different when we'd come to check it out on our own. There hadn't been any **_**people.**_

**So we walked around in circles for a while and finally I said, "I haven't got a clue. Let's just ask someone, okay?"**

**Out of all the people walking around William Rose Junior High School that day, Marissa picks a girl with hair the color of fire—"**

The reaction was immediate. Everybody's eyes locked onto Heather.

**"—and says, "Let's go ask her."**

**The girl looked like an eighth-grader, and from the way she was talking with the guy standing next to her, she seemed real comfortable being in a tidal wave of students. So Marissa was right—she probably knew exactly where B-2 was. I just would never have picked her because she looked, well, snotty."**

The tips of Heather's ears turned red, whether from embarrassment or anger, I didn't know. Probably both.

**"Partly it was the color she'd dyed her hair. Partly it was the earrings—she had five studs in each ear and a group of rings looped over the tops. Mostly, though, it was the way she looked at us when we walked over. Like we were kicking sand in her corner of the beach.**

Heather seemed to get redder and redder with each passing comment that dissed her.

**I almost grabbed Marissa and suggested we find someone else, but before I knew it she was saying, "Excuse me. Do either of you know where B-2 is?"  
At first Firehead—"**

Snickers erupted throughout the auditorium at Sammy's nickname for Heather.

**"—just snubs us, but then she notices my shoes. And she laughs. "High-tops? What are you, straight from elementary school?"**

**I stare at her a minute and can feel my face getting really hot. How can someone who decorates her ears like a Christmas tree have the nerve to make fun of my high-tops?"**

More laughter rang out.

**"And I'm about to tell her to keep her snotty thoughts to herself when the guy she's standing next to says, "Hey…aren't you Brandon McKenze's cousin?"**

**Marissa smiles at him. "Yeah, I am. Who are you?"**

"**I'm Taylor Briggs. My brother and him are best friends. You don't remember me? I was at his pool party this summer."**

**Marissa blinks a bit, then says, "Sorry, there were so many people there…"**

"**That's all right." He takes her schedule and says, "What room are you looking for?"**

"**B-2. It's our homeroom."**

**Now while Taylor's talking to Marissa, Firehead's getting real roasty around the collar. And when he's done telling us how to get to B-2, she glares at us, then throws her nose in the air and goes back to talking with Taylor.**

Holly whistles. "Drama Queen."

Dot laughs and whispers, "No kidding!"

**When we're far enough away I say, "Wow! She was scary!"**

**Marissa laughs. "You're not kidding!" And we hurry off to find B-2.**

**Our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Ambler, was already in the classroom, rearranging things on her desk. The bell rang and she looks up at the clock, then smiles at us and says, "We still have one more bell. Go ahead and find yourselves seats."**

**We find a couple of seats near the back, and I say to Marissa, "I've been wanting to tell you about what happened yesterday."**

**Marissa checks out the people around her. "Oh yeah? What?"**

**Kids are piling into the classroom, and since I don't want anyone to hear, I whisper, "You know the Heavenly Hotel?"**

**Just then the tardy bell rings and Mrs. Ambler calls, "Find a desk. You'll have assigned seats by the end of the week, but for now sit where you like."**

**So we're looking around at everyone scrambling for a seat near the back, when who walks in the door? Firehead.**

**I nudge Marissa. "Look!"**

**At first I thought she was there to deliver a message or something, but when she sits at a desk kitty-corner to me it hits me—she's no snot-nosed eighth-grader."**

"No, really?" I heard someone mumble sarcastically.

"**She's a snot-nosed seventh-grader."**

"Hey!" Heather cried. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"**I must have been staring, because she turns around and says, "What are you looking at?" Then she eyes my shoes and says, "You freak."**

Several frowns and disapproving looks were thrown at Heather. I almost felt sorry for the girl.

"**Mrs. Ambler calls, "Settle down, class. Let's begin." And as she's welcoming us to our first day of junior high school, explaining the rules for homeroom, Firehead leans back and says, "Taylor says you look like a fourth-grader."**

Several cries of "She does not!" rang out from my circle of friends.

"**Now maybe I'm kind of skinny and maybe I don't wear makeup or get all decked out to go to school, but there's no way I look like I'm in the fourth grade.**

**Mrs. Ambler asks the class to stand so we can pledge the flag, so I stand up and say, "Bug off, would you?"**

**Firehead pulls a face like Oh, I'm so scared and then leans over again and says, "Whatcha gonna do? Kick me with a high-top?" She puts her hand in front of her mouth. "Ooooh…I'm petrified!"**

The frowns and disapproving looks continued to be thrown at Heather.

"**I roll my eyes and keep on pledging, but I'm thinking, What's your **_**problem?**_

**Now Firehead's not saying the Pledge. She's got her heart but her eye on me. And when we're just about done, she leans back and says, "Oh, you say the Pledge so **_**good.**_** Did you spend the summer practicing?"**

The looks intensified.

"**Mrs. Ambler looks straight at her. "Young lady, what is your name?"**

**Firehead looks around a bit, then points to herself and asks, "Me?"**

**Mrs. Ambler snaps, "Yes, you."**

**She gives her an innocent little look. "Heather. Heather Acosta."**

"**Well, Miss Acosta, maybe your elementary school teachers allowed you to talk during the Pledge, but you're in junior high school now and we expect a degree of maturity from you. I'd like to try it again, only this time I'd like you to come up here and lead us."**

**All of a sudden homeroom is dead quiet. And while everyone's busy thinking there's no way they're **_**ever**_** going to talk during the Pledge in Mrs. Ambler's class, Heather's eyes move side to side like she doesn't quite believe what's happening to her.**

**Finally she moves to the front of the class, and by the time she's done leading the Pledge, her face is as red as her hair. And when she gets back to her chair she gives me the wickedest evil eye I've ever seen—"**

"Why?" Dot asks. "It's not like it's her fault."

"—**and I can tell she's thinking that somehow this all **_**my**_** fault.**

**I can also tell that Heather Acosta is going to find a way to get me back. And when she does, it'll be in spades."**

"Finished!" Billy exclaims. "Who's next?"

"I guess I'll go," Dot volunteered. She was quickly passed the book and asked to begin.

* * *

Gah…I'm sick.

If I don't update, I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

_Achoo! _

~O814

Questions? Comments? Concerns?


End file.
